The
Via EgnatiaVia Egnatia (Greek: Ἐγνατία Ὁδός) was a road
constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum,
Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of
modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European
Turkey.
Starting at
DyrrachiumDyrrachium (now Durrës) on the Adriatic Sea, the road
followed a difficult route along the river Genusus (Shkumbin), over
the Candaviae (Jablanica) mountains and thence to the highlands around
Lake Ohrid. It then turned south, following several high mountain
passes to reach the northern coastline of the
Aegean SeaAegean Sea at
Thessalonica. From there it ran through
ThraceThrace to the city of
ByzantiumByzantium (later Constantinople, now Istanbul).[1] It covered a total
distance of about 1,120 km (696 miles / 746 Roman miles). Like
other major Roman roads, it was about six metres (19.6 ft) wide,
paved with large polygonal stone slabs or covered with a hard layer of
sand.[2]

Construction[edit]
The main literary sources for the construction of the road are
Strabo's Geographica and a number of milestones found along the
route's length, marking the road for a length of 860 kilometres as far
as the border between Macedonia and Thrace. Bilingual inscriptions on
the milestones record that Gnaeus Egnatius, proconsul of Macedonia,
ordered its construction, though the exact date is uncertain; the road
presumably took its name from its builder.[3] It may have succeeded an
earlier military road from Illyria to Byzantium, as described by
PolybiusPolybius and Cicero, which the Romans apparently built over and/or
improved.[4]
The
Via EgnatiaVia Egnatia was constructed in order to link a chain of Roman
colonies stretching from the
Adriatic SeaAdriatic Sea to the Bosphorus. The
termini of the
Via EgnatiaVia Egnatia and the Via Appia, leading from Rome
itself, were almost directly opposite each other on the east and west
shores of the Adriatic Sea. The route, thus gave the colonies of the
southern Balkans a direct connection to Rome. It was also a vital link
to Roman territories further to the east; until a more northerly route
across Illyria was opened under
AugustusAugustus it was Rome's main link with
her empire in the eastern Mediterranean. It was repaired and expanded
several times but experienced lengthy periods of neglect due to Rome's
civil wars.
The road was used by the
Apostle PaulApostle Paul on his second missionary journey
as he traveled from
PhilippiPhilippi to
ThessalonicaThessalonica (
ActsActs 16-17). It also
played a vital role in several key moments in Roman history: the
armies of
Julius CaesarJulius Caesar and
PompeyPompey marched along the Via Egnatia
during Caesar's civil war, and during the
Liberators' civil warLiberators' civil war Mark
Antony and Octavian pursued Cassius and Brutus along the Via Egnatia
to their fateful meeting at the Battle of Philippi. Surviving
milestones record that the emperor
TrajanTrajan undertook extensive repairs
of the road prior to his campaign of 113 against the Parthians.
However, by the 5th century AD the road had largely fallen into disuse
as a result of violent instability in the region.[3] A 5th-century
historian noted that the western sections of the
Via EgnatiaVia Egnatia were in
such a poor state that travellers could barely pass along it.[5]
Post-Roman usage[edit]
In later years, the
Via EgnatiaVia Egnatia was revived as a key road of the
Byzantine Empire;
ProcopiusProcopius records repairs made by the Byzantine
emperor
Justinian IJustinian I during the 6th century, though even then the
dilapidated road was said to be virtually unusable during wet
weather.[5] Almost all Byzantine overland trade with western Europe
traveled along the Via Egnatia. During the Crusades, armies traveling
to the east by land followed the road to
ConstantinopleConstantinople before
crossing into Asia Minor. In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade,
control of the road was vital for the survival of the
Latin EmpireLatin Empire as
well as the Byzantine successor states the
Empire of NicaeaEmpire of Nicaea and the
Despotate of Epirus.
During the first European conquests of Ottoman Turks sol kol (lit.
left arm) was following the Via Egnatia.[6]
Today's modern highway, Egnatia Odos, runs in parallel with the Via
Egnatia between
ThessalonikiThessaloniki and the Turkish border on the Evros
river. Its name means "Via Egnatia" in Greek, alluding to its ancient
predecessor.[7]
Key towns along the Via Egnatia[edit]
Listed from west to east: